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Sunstreaker already misses having Lily stay at the base. He knew it would be an adjustment getting used to Lily coming only on weekends and school vacations. One thing Sunstreaker didn't think about is when Lily gets sick. Until he gets a text.
Lily, I'm not coming to the base today. I feel like scrap.
Sunstreaker doesn't like reading that Lily is sick. He's not exactly happy he has the day off when he's thinking of going to Lily's house just because she's sick.
Lily's mom, Lexie, isn't surprised Sunstreakee is at the door.
"Why am I not surprised?" She smiles, "I was expecting Drift to be with you."
"I didn't think to have him come with me, but I know you're caring for Lily."
Lexie doesn't tell Sunstreaker how sick Lily is as she watches him go upstairs.
Sunstreaker walks into Lily's dark room. The curtains keep the light out, and the door was closed. Sunstreaker closes the door and sits on his knees by the bed.
He feels Lily's feverish forehead. Uncertain how long he'll be waiting, Sunstreaker repositions to sitting on his butt and leaning on the bed.
Sideswipe, I'll be here all weekend. Sunstreaker tells his twin brother through their bond.
I'll let Prowl know so he doesn't question if you'll do your patrol on Monday.
I will do my patrol before getting back to the base on Monday.
Sideswipe doesn't question if Sunstreaker will wear the same clothes for two days. Indeed, he asks to know how Lily is doing when she wakes up after being told she's asleep.
Sunstreaker couldn't resist sketching Lily while she slept. He finishes just before she wakes up.
"You feeling any better?" Sunstreaker asks.
"No," she replies, "why are you here?"
"Because I wanted to, even if you're sick."
"But if you stay, you'll get sick too."
"Sure, Ratchet programmed our holoforms to function like the human body, but I've yet to get sick."
"You've been on Earth, using holoforms for fourteen years. I'm not believing you haven't gotten sick yet."
The subject is dropped. Lily wants Sunstreaker to stay here and care for her but worries he'll get sick.
"You want me to carry you downstairs to the living room?"
Lily nods. Sunstreaker picks Lily up while she's under the blankets.
Sunstreaker lays Lily on the couch and puts the TV on. Aware Lily will go back to sleep and that this is likely what he'll be doing until he must leave Monday morning.
I don't care if I'm not doing anything but watching TV or sketching. I'm not going back to the base yet. Sunstreaker thinks as he looks at Lily.
"I made soup," Lexie tells Sunstreaker. She puts two bowls on the table. One is full of soup, and the other is a third full. She also puts a thermometer on the coffee table, "I'll let you take care of her. There are cough drops and medication in the upstairs bathroom. You don't need to constantly check her temperature, but I know you want to know."
"Are you leaving?"
"No, I know you want to take care of her," Lexie smiles and goes upstairs.
"Lily, hey, you need to eat."
"No," Lily whines.
Sorry, I have to do this. Sunstreaker thinks as he sits Lily up.
He didn't think Lily would let him feed her. By how she looks, he doesn't think Lily is doing this on purpose.
Five minutes is long enough for Lily.
"A little more, then you can lie down."
Sunstreaker gets Lily to finish what was in her bowl before laying her back down. He takes her temperature, but he's not relieved it's 99°. Worried her fever will get worse.
Sunstreaker gets a text from Drift will a few suggestions and asking if Sunstreaker wants him to make soup.
Sunstreaker tells him not to bother. Leaving out, he doesn't want Drift to get sick.
As Sunstreaker thought, he spent most of the weekend sketching or watching TV. Lily slept most of the time. She feels a little better by Sunday night, but not enough to return to school. Sunstreaker also wants to avoid taking her to the base until she's well enough to go back to
"Did you just sneeze?" Lily asks as Sunstreaker gets comfortable on the cot he's been sleeping on. Wishing Lily had a bunk bed.
"So what if I did? Don't humans also sneeze for other reasons aside from being sick?" Lily doesn't answer, "exactly, good night."
Sunstreaker turns off the lamp, feeling the beginning of a cold in his throat. Hoping it'll be ignorable.
Sunstreaker feels worse when he wakes up, but he can ignore how he feels. This is a good thing when the other one he'd be informing about a last-minute replacement for morning patrol is Prowl, who wouldn't believe Sunstreaker.
"Are you going to be able to come back?" Lily asks.
"Maybe."
This normally wouldn't be a lie, but Sunstreaker already feels like he won't be able to ignore he's sick.
Sunstreaker didn't think an hour's patrol in his alt mode and picking up Starbucks would be enough to cause him to feel worse to the point where he wants to go back to bed.
Drift is walking down the hall when he sees Sunstreaker and becomes concerned. Especially since he knows Sunstreaker took care of Lily all weekend.
"Are you feeling ok?" He asks.
"I'm fine," Sunstreaker argues.
While this is typical Sunstreaker behavior, Sunstreaker would only talk like this towards his brother, Drift, and a few others when angry. Drift can tell Sunstreaker isn't angry. Unless he can count Sunstreaker not liking that he got sick as being angry. Drift informs Sideswipe that Sunstreaker might be sick and wants to know how Sunstreaker behaves until Sideswipe leaves to teach his class in an hour.
Sideswipe sits at his desk, watching Sunstreaker as he puts his Starbucks items on the coffee table, takes off his leather jacket and boots, and gets into bed.
Sideswipe; he just went to bed. You know he wouldn't do that if he was up all night.
Drift; I'll be right there.
Sunstreaker is not pleased to see Drift in the room, and he knows Drift has a thermometer.
"Forehead reading, so you can't refuse," Drift comments, "100°, you caught Lily's cold. Even doing your patrol this morning was enough to feel like scrap. I'll be back later."
Drift removes a package of cough drops from his subspace and puts them on the nightstand. Sideswipe gives Drift the hot coffee Sunstreaker got to put on the nightstand.
"He'll likely be asleep all day. I'm going to make the soup I'd make for Jamie when she's sick," Drift explains to Sideswipe.
The two leave the room. Sunstreaker hopes to sleep.
"You didn't make soup for Lily?" Sideswipe asks as the two walk down the hall.
"Sunstreaker didn't want me to. He's going to learn how homemade is better than canned. Also, he was worried I'd get sick, but it's cold and flu season. The viruses will be spreading around here."
"Uh, so shouldn't you and Crosshairs leave?"
"Really? Do you know how stupid that sounds? Do you realize it's the same time of year in Jamie's dimension? But we are going back to Jamie's dimension soon. I think I better stay until Sunstreaker is better."
"Hey, I can take care of him."
Drift says nothing more.
Sunstreaker is awake when Sideswipe returns. Sideswipe finds out Sunstreaker didn't sleep the two hours he was gone.
"Sideswipe, go get cold medicine," Sunstreaker orders, "these aren't doing anything."
"How many did you have in two hours?"
"Does it matter?! They're not working!"
"Uh, yeah, it does. That's also medicine. You're not getting anything for a few hours."
"Frag you!"
"You're a jerk when you're sick."
Sideswipe deals with Sunstreaker complaining for the next two hours until Drift walks in with a bowl of soup.
"Sorry, I thought those would help," Drift apologizes.
"For a few minutes," Sunstreaker tells him.
Sunstreaker can sit up to eat the soup.
"So, is he sick with the flu?" Sideswipe whispers.
"No, he's hating the symptoms. I can give him cold medicine. That'll help, and he'll be able to sleep."
"So glad he doesn't get sick often. He's been a jerk."
"Like he's not a jerk when he's not sick. Especially when he's angry."
"It's going to be a long week."
After finishing the soup, Drift gives Sunstreaker medicine and leaves the room with the bowl. Sunstreaker can go to sleep.
Lily is well enough to go to school on Tuesday. She goes to the base after school. Drift and Sideswipe thought she wouldn't come on Saturday. The two tell her Sunstreaker is sick but let her go to the twins' room.
Sunstreaker does not like Lily being allowed in the room. Now he worries she'll get sick again rather than that she's seeing he's sick.
"What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?" She asks as she feels his forehead.
Sunstreaker only groans.
Sideswipe tells Lily how Sunstreaker has been a jerk and about the soup Drift made.
"I'll bring dinner here," Drift decides and leaves.
Lily tells her mom she's staying at the base for a few hours.
Sunstreaker feels well enough to sit on the couch with Lily. Sideswipe sits on the other side of Lily. The three didn't think Crosshairs would be with Drift. They figured Drift would use a cart but didn't think he'd bring the pot of soup and bowls.
"This is good," Lily comments.
"Better than canned soup?" Crosshairs asks.
"Uh....yeah."
"It is better than canned," Sunstreaker comments.
Drift explains that he would have made the soup, adding what he told Sideswipe.
Sunstreaker feels she needs to go back to bed after everyone finishes dinner.
"I don't know if you can get sick again," Sunstreaker tells Lily, "as much as I hope you can come here after school every day, I don't want you to until I'm over this cold, ok?"
Lily doesn't argue with Sunstreaker. She hugs him and leaves.
"Good news is he doesn't get sick often," Sideswipe assures her, "can you get sick again this soon?"
"I don't know. Considering how everyone is different, maybe."
"Then it's wise you wait until the weekend to come back. He should be better by then."
"Fine," Lily sulks.